Coming Clean
by laugh4life
Summary: Ella finally is willing to listen to Aria and Ezra, and hear them out. What is her verdict? R&R please! Twisted version of what happened on the show! Rated T just in case!


**Last week and this week's episodes were epic - they totally deserved a one-shot. So here it is (: Also, the two episodes are sort of mixed in this story, so forget everything that happened in the episodes and the order, because it will be easier to understand this then. Enjoy!  
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><p><strong>Aria's POV<strong>

I can't believe this is really happening. After a month of begging, pleading, Ella is finally willing to listen to me about our relationship. She's being open-minded, she claims, and she's acting just like I wanted her to all along. She's behaving as I believe a real mother should.

Though I wish I could say the same for Byron. All he's done is torture us with his devices, manipulating and blackmailing Ezra into leaving me with a fabulous opportunity of a job. The thing that puzzles the most is how Byron could have so much hate in store for us, when he's been in this situation himself. But maybe that's just it. Maybe how he sees it, Ezra is just like him. He only wanted was Meredith for the secret, to relive his boyish ways. And I think that's just what he believes Ezra is doing; using me as his toy.

But I know better. And apparently so does Ella.

Sitting here, on Ezra's five year old sofa, the couch that we shared so many moments on together in the past year, is my mother. She looks at me expectantly as Ezra tends to the boiling pot of water in the kitchen. Suddenly it feels as if I can breathe, as if the world isn't crashing down on us. That there is hope for us after all.

The only thing that matters any more is that there's a slight chance my mother will see that this is not an act; that we truly do love each other with all our hearts; that all we want is to be together forever and not think twice about it. Hopefully this night will prove that.

However, we couldn't have gotten here without a fight. And today sure was hectic, energy-consuming, and overall, terrible. But we wouldn't have gotten here without today's traumatic events. Let me rewind a bit, back to when I secretly snuck out to meet with Ezra at one o'clock this afternoon.

_The car was cozy as it could be, the heat blasting from the air vent, as I gazed at Ezra in awe. How was I so lucky to have him? _

_Our conversations flowed easily as normal. We smiled at each other as we talked, glad that we could finally meet up again after just a few days. He told me about how he is glad for his brother, Devon, who just applied for collages and got his top picks. He told me how excited he was for the band that is coming to New York and that he is going to see - Broken Lilies, I think it is called. His smile came easily, and I smiled just because he was. Staring at him with happiness, I was warm inside - content - when he opened his mouth to say the unbearable. _

_All at once, it seemed like the world collapsed; the opinions and information that came streaming from his mouth all clumped together in my mind, and I couldn't process it fully before I was tearing up, wet rivers soon flowing down my cheeks. _

_And then he was gone._

_Hours later, Ella found me still sobbing into my pillow on my bed._

_"Aria? What's wrong?" She asked, uneasy. _

_There was no way I would tell her to begin with. I'd been keeping this situation a secret from her for a few weeks while she trusted that I wasn't keeping anything from her at all. But then - I thought spitefully - why shouldn't I tell her? It didn't matter any longer; He broke up with me, much to my despair. _

_And so I told her about Byron's cruel joke, and much to my confusion, she pretended that she had no part in such a vicious act. _

_My mind was then made up; no matter what I would go after Ezra; I wasn't going to lose him that easily. I wasn't going to lose him just because my dad said I had to. No, we were meant to be together. We love each other. So that is how it will be, no matter what I have to do to get to that point. _

_That was when I left. Automatically, I headed to his apartment to apologize. As I drove with tears in my eyes, nearly blinding me and causing others to honk, I thought about how much my parents were against our relationship. If only they cared, I thought. _

_He graciously opened the door and invited me into his apartment without a second thought. His eyes were troubled as if he'd been thinking about us all afternoon, too. We didn't talk at first, and then all at once I spilled all that had happened since we broke up. Relief flooded his face. _

_"I'm so sorry, Aria. I never meant to hurt you like that. I just thought-"_

_My eyes are forgiving and kind as I gazed lovingly at him, "It's alright. It will always be. Let's just get this show on the road, all right?"_

_And that was when the knock at the door came, interrupting us. Those dramatic events led up to where we are now._

"I'm listening," Ella prompts us, her face open and accepting.

We sit there silently, not willing to be the first to talk. The deafening noise hangs over us like the limbs of trees; blocking the sun but not meaning to be.

Moments later, Ezra appears back in the room. He sits down awkwardly, as if he is unsure of his actions any more, and as if he is worried that they'll cause great commotion. I give him a small, reassuring smile, and pat the couch next to me. The sofa sags as he sits down.

"So," Ezra breaks the impending silence, "What would you like to know?"

Ella's jaw muscles visibly tighten. She says stiffly, "For starters, what is this job offer about?"

"You were serious?" I ask her in disbelief. "Byron didn't tell you about this? You weren't involved?"

"No!" She cries, confused beyond belief. "What are you even talking about to begin with?"

Ezra clears his throat. My hand finds his, and I squeeze it harder in reassurance. He begins, "He offered me a job transfer. No, he offered me the opportunity of a lifetime, hoping that I'd take it and in that way he would rid this town of me."

She gasps lightly, surprised that her husband would do such a thing behind her back, "What?"

I nod spitefully and bite my lips in the hopes that I can keep from saying anything that hurts us further.

Ella's eyes are hurt and betrayed. I can see that she truly did not have any part in this; I've seen Ella hurt before, and this is what it looks like. There's nothing fake about this.

"So, let me get this straight," She says seriously, leaning forward in her chair to look us straight in the eyes. "Byron tempted you with something that he knew you had to take, in order to make you leave my daughter? He cheated you?"

Her eyes flame with anger, and for a minute, all I do is sit there in shock. I had no idea that my mother was so in the dark about all of this. A wave of sadness and regret sweeps over me; I shouldn't have treated her the way I did before.

The room goes completely silent while we're all lost in our own little worlds. My legs are curled up under me, and I lean on Ezra comfortably, enjoying his solidity in this otherworldly situation.

Ezra finally breaks the silence, and I look over at him while he declares, "I love Aria, Mrs. Montgomery. Believe me, I would do anything to keep her. But this is cruel. If Byron thinks I'll give up this easily on her, he's dreadfully wrong. There is no way I would give up Aria, and if I have to go to court to prove that, I will."

My heart warms at his proclamation, and I look into his beautiful eyes, smiling like I just won the lottery. Because I have. I have the best thing in the world; better than anything money will get me, and he just proved that he'd never leave my side voluntarily.

A frown appears on my mother's face, and her words turn my smile upside down, but for a different reason than she thinks. She reasons, "Ezra, are you sure what you are saying is completely true? Coming from you, this sounds like a lie, because just a few hours ago you broke up with my daughter. Do you really love her as much as you say?" Her lips purse in annoyance, as if she is being lied to again.

His eyebrows meet in surprise and wariness, "Yes, I'm quite sure. What are you implying?"

Thinking this is a good time to stop a fight from escalating, I jump in, "No one is implying anything, _right,_ mom?"

She nods sullenly, her eyes distant in thought. He looks at me peculiarly, and I can feel the hairs on my arms raise in uneasiness. Could what my mom just said be right? Was I too quick to assume that Ezra still loves me? Does he still at all, or am I sorely mistaken?

Thoughts swirl around in my mind, and press my fingers to my temples, trying to sort them out. Ezra loves me, right? I mean, a job offer shouldn't change that. Should it? He never acted otherwise before he got the offer, and then all of a sudden, he dumps me out of no where? Should I be worried? Ella's probably overreacting as usual, but she has a right to. And almost everyone says mothers are usually right, and she has had more experience with relationships than me... Oh, why am I second-guessing his love for me? It's so stupid of me. It's not like he's sleeping with another woman. He wouldn't do that. Although, he never told me about Jackie, so could he be hiding something else from me?

"Ugh!" I screech into my palms, shaking my head as I try to clear my mind. It pulses with thoughts moving in circles, and it's giving me a headache.

The two look at me quietly like I'm crazy. I can feel their eyes on my back, and I realize that I may just be acting a little bit insane. But I have every right to. It is a crazy day.

When his hands touch my back, I shudder, and then strictly reprimand myself inside me head. I tell myself, _If I can't trust Ezra, there is no one in this world to be trusted. Don't over think this, Aria. Deep down, you know that Ezra would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, and that everything he's saying right now is completely honest and out of the goodness of his heart._

However, the doubt still sits with me.

It almost feels as if there was one tiny angel and one tiny devil, both perched on opposite shoulders. One telling me to believe the goodness of what he is saying, and the other whispering that I'm a fool and that I shouldn't ever trust anyone. And honestly, it is making my head explode.

Getting up off the couch, I swallow nervously and mutter, "Excuse me."

Once inside the bathroom, with the door locked behind me, I slump down on the eggshell white toilet seat and put my head in my clammy hands, breathing in deep, methodical breaths in an attempt to calm myself. When that doesn't work, I glance at the mirror and see my awful reflection.

My own face stares back at me, eyes puffy and red with all the crying, my hair is wild around my unusually pale face. My lips are pursed in concentration, just like Ella's do in annoyance, as I try in vain to calm myself without success.

Looking around to distract myself, I pay attention to the creamy bathroom walls, stenciled with a neat bohemian design in a deeper gold color. The porcelain knobs and faucet on the sink gleam in the florescent lighting. The rough, slick tile is cold beneath my bare feet, and I shiver for no reason.

Distantly, I hear Ezra's voice, as if in a dream. He says, "Excuse me for a second. I'm going to go check on her. Is there anything you would like while I'm up?"

Accepting my mother's simple _No, thank you_, footsteps proceed closer to where I am. I take another deep breath, ready to respond.

"Aria?" His musical voice penetrates through the wooden door. The hairs on the back of my neck prick up.

"Yeah?" I croak. Gosh, my voice is awful; its a broken instrument that sounds like it'll never be able to play again.

He speaks softly, "Can you come out please, honey?"

The nerves start back up again when he says _honey_. Did Ella hear that? Is it too big a step for her, and can she handle it? Oh, gosh, is it too big a step for me? Is he joking, or is he serious? Does he really love me as much as he says, or is it just his manly hormones speaking? Am I deceiving us all?

"No," I whisper, looking down at my bare feet. My burgundy toenail polish is chipped from months ago; I haven't been out on a girls' night in forever with all we have going on, which is the only time I ever bother to get them done, usually because Hanna won't let me leave without it. The sparkling swirls on top of the reddish color are broken, only pieces here and there.

As if he expected that to be my answer, he asks, "Why not? Please, Aria?"

I sigh. It's not as if I can refuse him now; his beautiful voice can prompt me to do anything. After glancing one last time in the mirror, I clench my fists as I try to control my expression. As the door creaks open, I find that I'm staring right into his gorgeous eyes.

When we're standing facing Ella in the middle of the family room, I look down at my shoes again. Her eyes pierce my soul.

"So?" She asks. Her perfect brunette hair hangs down, pin straight, and her clothes have not a wrinkle on them. It's funny, actually, how alike we are, but just how different we are, too.

Scooting around her question, I wonder, "What did you really come here for?"

She looks surprised, as if I should have been able to guess all along. She answers, "To realize just what this might be before I make any rash decisions."

"Why do you care so much?" I question. Ezra squeezes my hand lightly, but I ignore it. _What are you doing? Don't push it; be happy with the freedom she's given us_, he's silently telling me. But the problem is that I can't be happy with just that. I need to know more, to know what exactly is running through her head. And I want to know _now_.

"Because I love you, sweetie," She replies, her eyes wide and honest.

I sneer cruelly, "Now isn't that just a pathetic answer. Typical."

"Aria!" Ezra gasps.

"Why this anger?" Ella asks, aghast at such behavior all of a sudden. To her it must seem as if it popped up out of nowhere. Yes, I've held it in pretty well over the course of the past few days.

No longer able to hold in my temper, I let out the difficult things I've been dealing with behind my back from the past few days. All at once, it pours out. I say, "Did you really think you were fooling anyone? I knew about the investigation you and Mrs. Marin started the moment you began. Don't lie to me, mom. Is this about those notes that we've been getting?"

Her cheeks flare up red. She snaps, "Why are you bringing this up now if you've known it for so long?"

"Well, why are you avoiding the subject?" I counter.

After just a moment of our typical stare-down, she averts her eyes and sighs in defeat. My mother says, her tone unusually strict, "You girls weren't giving us any answers, Aria, and Ashley and I want those answers. If you're willing to tell me just who this _A_ person is - and I know that you know - tell us now, or we're headed to the police."

"I told you," I cry, upset that she doesn't believe me, "I don't know!"

Throughout this whole discussion, there is something major that I'd forgotten. The fact that we are in Ezra's apartment and that he's in the room, which means that he is hearing everything we're saying is something that could really make or break our relationship. We'll just see how this plays out, I guess.

"Excuse me, but who is _A_?" Ezra interrupts. Our heads whip toward the sound of his voice. Standing a little ways away from us, he is lounging against the nearest wall, probably so that if we decide to leap at each other with claws extended, he is already out of the way and doesn't have to move.

Shoot. My love for Ezra is exactly what has kept me from telling him about _A_. This being in the dark has kept him safe all these months. And now Ella wants me to tell them both about _A_, thus getting them both into more danger than they could ever have imagined.

Although Ella thinks she knows just what_ A_ is capable of, she really doesn't in the slightest bit. _A_ was the person who tried to run Hanna down with the car, who killed Ian, who scared Spencer in that fun house a while back, who tried to blackmail Mona into broadcasting crap about her best friend, who broke Toby's equipment and attempted to send him to his death, who ruined Emily's chances at finding love in the beginning... The list goes on and on. Who could name all the terrible things that have happened to us since this all began? It's just too hard; the list goes on and on and never appears to end.

So, no, Ella has absolutely no clue about the dangerous waters she's stepping into by crossing this line. But no matter what she wants to know, there is still that chance that I could lie to her, that I could make something up to keep her in the dark and keep her safe. The question is would it be enough? Would she give up with trying to figure out this mystery, and stay safe?

His penetrating gaze makes me squirm uncomfortably. If he's to be in major danger, it is better not to let him know that I'm in danger, too, in the first place, right? But if I don't tell him that about _A_, he'll think I'm dishonest, which I would be although I wouldn't want to be. And if I tell Ella... no, the best way to tell them is to split them up.

"Okay, mom, how does any of this have to do with our relationship?" I beg, my eyes pleading with hers so that she lets the topic go for now. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Ezra crossing his arms in annoyance as I try to wiggle my way out of the situation. As Ella debates, I let my eyes capture his, and I know that he understood what I am trying to say as we made eye contact. He nods just a little bit in agreement.

My attention returns to Ella as she agrees to let it go, saying, "We'll talk later. Now tell me all the reasons that I shouldn't be opposed to you two being together so that I can consider them."

Put on the spot like that, all the reasons I was going to previously tell her rush out of my head, leaving me thoughtless. I stand there with a blank expression, looking at her dumbfound. I look over to Ezra, who I realize was staring at me the whole time, and blush.

He comes to the rescue, strolling up beside me and grabbing my hand. His calms my nerves, which bounce around inside of me like a twister let loose. His touch is gentle and familiar, and I automatically close my eyes and lean into his strong build, savoring it.

"Reason one: I love Aria with all my heart. Honest," His sparkling blue eyes are wide and truthful as they stare into my mother's doubtful ones.

I jump in, "And I love Ezra just as much." I cringe when her eyes focus on me. Is she judging me right now, or just trying to understand? Is she criticizing me for everything I do in that mind of hers, or is she reasoning with herself? Does she think as badly of me as I believe she does, or am I being to hard on myself?

Question after question piles up in my mind constantly, and they bombard my brain like flies attracted to sugar.

"So tell me, how long do you two think you'll be together?" She inquires.

At once, we both answer, "Forever." Our voices are strong and determined.

It was so in sync that I was forced to grin at him happily. I'm glad that he thinks of our relationship the same way I do; it'll sure help us get past Ella's test quicker. And just having the knowledge that he doesn't think of us like any teenage boy would really makes the situation that much better.

"So, what do you think?" I ask nervously, twisting my hair tightly around my fingers in anxiety. The butterflies turn to bats in my stomach, and I begin to feel a little lightheaded with anticipation.

The minutes slow down, and I can hear the steady tick-tock from the clock in the other room as I wait. One second, two. Three seconds, four. Finally on the fifth second, she speaks ever so slowly.

"I think," She pronounces the words with great care, speaking slowly and meaningfully. "That we have ourselves a keeper. But before you're let into the family for good, we have a mountain of other problems to deal with first."

My heart races excitedly and I grin at Ezra, my smile bursting until it can't be any wider. He smiles back with just as much enthusiasm.

"What do we need to do first?" He asks seriously.

And as my mother explains what needs to be done, the energy and happiness that just filled me up now drains, and I'm left with a sinking feeling of what is to come. We've gone through hell, but it isn't over yet. It doesn't look like it is going to be over any time soon; problem after problem always arises for us, and although it keeps our relationship interesting, for once I'd like to have it be stress-free and problem-free.

Looks like today is the wrong day for that.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! Just wanted to do a short little one-shot, because I really enjoyed the whole concept that Ella came over to hear them out on her own, and that she was willing to listen. I like using some of what happened from the show to boost my writing, because it is comfortable territory, in case you were wondering. <strong>

**Reviews please? (:**


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